OLDEST BUILDING IN PERTH!

The 1836 Old Court House building, located on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar, is a clear manifestation of the doctrine of terra nullius upon which the Swan River colony was founded. It symbolises the imposition of the British legal system upon Aboriginal peoples who practiced and continue to practice, their own established systems of law. 

Perth’s oldest building, The Old Court House Law Museum, is one of Western Australia’s most significant cultural heritage sites.  From its principal function as a courthouse to its cultural role as the main social and civic hub of early colonial life, this small but highly significant building now operates as the Old Court House Law Museum and is open for everyone to explore and be amazed. 

 As a contemporary Museum, the Old Court House Law Museum works to, conserve and interpret Western Australia’s legal and social histories from the past to the present.  

 This significant building and Museum have big Western Australian histories to share.